By: Alieu Ceesay
Restorative Justice for Africa (REJA) Nigeria has completed a week-long courtesy visit to The Gambia at the invitation of its Gambian counterpart, aiming to deepen collaboration on legal frameworks, access to justice, inmate reintegration and restorative approaches to criminal justice.
The visit enabled the Nigerian delegation, working alongside the REJA Gambia team, to engage key justice-sector institutions and identify practical areas for joint work. It builds on REJA Gambia’s existing stakeholder outreach and efforts to expand access to justice while promoting restorative methods suited to local needs.
Discussions centered on the concept and practical application of restorative justice. Participants explored cooperation in legal representation for vulnerable people, rehabilitation and reintegration programs, capacity building, advocacy and wider criminal justice reform.
The delegation paid official visits to the National Agency for Legal Aid (NALA), the Gambia Prison Service (GPS) and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR).
At NALA, Executive Secretary Mrs. Sainabou Jahateh welcomed the visitors and outlined the agency’s mandate. After productive talks, NALA and REJA signed a Memorandum of Understanding to improve collaboration on access to justice and legal representation for those unable to afford it.
Senior officials of the Gambia Prison Service received the team at headquarters in Banjul. Talks focused on reintegration strategies and how restorative justice contributes to safer communities.
“We believe that the Gambia Prison Service is a great sector to work with, especially on reintegration aspects, and to ensure that inmates can also get access to justice, but also enable us to work professionally,” said Eguono Olorunfemi, Head of Operations at REJA Nigeria.
Deputy Director General Modou Jarju described the visit as timely. “We have a few institutions helping us in the area of integration, and we need more entities to come forward to work with us in the area of integration and restorative justice,” he said.
REJA was established in 2020 to advance justice for those often left behind. Advocates present restorative justice as a process that encourages offenders to take responsibility, repair harm and lower the risk of reoffending.
At the ACHPR, Senior Legal Officer Mr. Pedro Rosaco welcomed the engagement. “I think you will be very useful to be part of our rosters to help in legal aid,” he noted, highlighting opportunities to bolster legal support and access to justice.
In a post-visit interview, Chibueze Maduka, Board Member and Head of Legal at REJA Nigeria, emphasized the approach’s African roots. “So we believe that the implementation of restorative justice for us in Nigeria or the Gambia is that we are going back to our roots, how we resolve conflicts as a community, how we live communally and ensure that we can resolve conflicts and live together in safer societies,” he told journalists.
Susan Jatta, Country Coordinator of REJA Gambia, said the mission strengthened ties between the two chapters, allowed experience-sharing and examined how Nigerian initiatives could be adapted locally. She thanked stakeholders and the visiting team for their commitment, adding that REJA Gambia will continue engaging partners to develop restorative programs that reflect Gambian realities.
The visit forms part of REJA’s wider continental effort to promote people-centered, restorative and accessible justice systems and to help close the justice gap across Africa.
